“We are so proud of Jenny. She worked very hard for this and did an outstanding job representing Oregon,” said Anne Marie Moss, Oregon Farm Bureau communications director.

Freeborn, who is from Rickreall, Ore., was elected chair of the Oregon Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee in December. Her father, Dean Freeborn, is a member of the Oregon Farm Bureau board of directors, according to Moss. Her sister, Kathy Hadley, has served as YF&R chair as well.

“Making the Final Four of this competition was literally a dream come true for me. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was 15 years old and participated in an FFA practice discussion meet,” Freeborn said in an Oregon Farm Bureau statement. “In 2009, I was in the audience watching the Final Four round in Seattle, and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to be on that stage someday.’ And yet at the same time, I never thought it would actually happen. When my name was announced for the Final Four, that was both the most shocking and proudest moment of my life.”

The discussion meet simulates a committee meeting in which active discussion and participation are expected. Participants are evaluated on their ability to exchange ideas and information on a predetermined topic, according to a Farm Bureau press release.

In Freeborn’s four rounds of competition, the topics of discussion were:

• Round 1 topic: With a growing demand for U.S. farm products abroad, how can agriculture overcome public skepticism of foreign trade to negotiate new trade agreements and open new world markets?

• Round 2 topic: How can Farm Bureau help members with increasing legal and regulatory obstacles so they can focus on farming and ranching?

• Sweet 16 round topic: How can farmers and ranchers maintain their buying power with the continued trend of input supplier and provider consolidations?

• Final Four round topic: Farmers are a shrinking percentage of the population. How can Farm Bureau help first-generation farmers and ranchers get started in agriculture?

Martha Smith of Colorado won the discussion meet. Jared Knock of South Dakota placed third, and fourth place went to Matt Jakubik of Michigan.

The discussion meet was held along with the Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award and Excellence in Agriculture competitions, the winners of which were also announced Monday.

Young farmers and ranchers from around the country competed for the awards by demonstrating knowledge of and achievement in agriculture, as well as commitment to promoting the agriculture industry.